Mechanism for automatically opening and closing car-doors.



0. E. SAHOLT.

MECHANISM FOR'AUTOMATICALLY OPENING AND CLOSING C AR DOORS. APPLICATION FILED DEC. Zh 1915.

1,226,698. Patented May 22, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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0. E. SAHOLT.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-21,1915.

Patented May 22, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATICALLY OPENING AND CLOSING CAR DOORS.

gIwuemIoz pia'r ORVILLE E. SAI-IOL'I, 0F FERGUS FALLS, MINNESOTA.

Application filed December 21, 1915.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ORVILLE E. SAHQLT, a citizen of the United States, residing 1 at Fergus Falls, in the county of Ottertail and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanism for Automatically Opening and Closing Car-Doors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in mechanismfor automatically opening and closing car doors.

The object of my invention is to provide a mechanism, primarily designed for use upon street cars, whereby the stopping of a car will automatically open the door for the exit of passengers without the delay and additional work devolving upon the motorman and conductor as when the door must be opened by hand. Furthermore the door is automatically closed upon the starting of the car. These functions are performed by my device without the expenditure of additional power and by the installation of a relatively simple mechanism.

My device is durable in construction, economical in manufacturing cost and cost of upkeep, and extremely eflicient in operation.

Other objects of this invention not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be clearly understood from the detailed description and drawings forming a part of this specification.

Furthermore, this invention consists in the novel arrangement andcombination of parts more particularly described in the following specification and embodied in the claims appended hereunto and forming a part of this application.

Referring now to the drawings, which are merely illustrative of my invention,

Figure l is a'bottom plan diagrammatic view of my automatic car door opening and closing mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line H of Fig.1.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 22, 1917.

Serial No. 68,064.

designates a duplex pulley mounted upon the rear axle 2 of astreet-car. Said axle is formed with a T-shaped channel 3 extendtance therearound. A pin 4 is secured centrally through the collar of said pulley, said pin having a flange 5 formed upon the inner end thereof adapted to engage the interior walls of said T-shaped channel.

A fly wheel 6 is mounted upon the car body 7 by means of suitable bearings 8, said fly wheel being provided with a pulley 9 formed integrally adjacent one face thereof, said pulley being operatively connected with one of the duplex pulleys 1 by means of a belt 10.

An axle 11, formed with a spiral groove 12 therein, is mounted upon bearings 13 secured to the body 7 of a car, forwardly of said pulley 1 and fiy wheel 6. Said axle is also provided with a ratchet flange 12 and a pawl 13 is mounted upon the bearing 13 engageable with said ratchet in a manner to prevent the forward rotation of the axle 11, but permitting free backward rotation when the car is being moved backwardly. A clutch mechanism is mounted upon said axle, said mechanism consisting of a pulley 14, formed with a lug 15 projecting inwardly from the hearing face thereof, said lug being adapted to engage with the spiral groove 12. Said pulley is formed with a circumferential groove 16 extending part way therearound within one face thereof, and a circumferential recess 17 centrally thereof. A sprocket wheel 18 is mounted upon said shaft 11 adjacent said pulley 14:, the cooperation of the pulley and the sprocket wheel forming the clutch mechanism. Said sprocket wheel is formed with a circumferential recess 19 centrally thereof adapted to communicate with the recess 17 of said pulley. Said sprocket wheel is provided with a lug 20 adapted to register with the groove 16 within the face of said pulley and engage with one end of said groove as the pulley is revolved forwardly. A torsional spring 21 is interposed ing circumferentially almost the entire disbetween said pulley 14 and said sprocket wheel 18 within the communicating recesses 17 and 19. A belt 22 is operatively connected with said pulley 14 and the other of said duplex pulleys 1.

An axle 23 is mounted upon bearings 24 secured to the body 7 of a car, forwardly of said pulleys, fly-Wheel, and clutch mechanism. A sprocket wheel 25 is keyed upon said shaft near one end thereof, said shaft having an enlarged portion 26 formed thereon, said enlarged portion being provided with a spiral groove 27 within the periphery thereof. A block 28 is formed with a perforation 29 centrally therethrough, within which the enlarged portion of the shaft is adapted to revolve. A guide member 30 is formed upon the interior face of the perforation 29 of said block, said guide member being adapted to follow said spiral groove 1n a manner hereinafter described. A sprocket chain 31 is operatively interposed between said sprocket wheels 18 and 25.

Said block 28 is provided with oppositely disposed outwardly extending arms 32, ad jacent the outer ends of which is mounted one of the ends of a plurality of tension springs 33, the other ends of said springs being fixedly secured to a bracket member 34. A gear wheel 35 is operatively connected to the door A of a street-car, either directly to the hinged portion of a swinging door, or to a cooperating rack mounted upon a sliding door, a pinion 36 meshing with said gear and being secured to one end of a lever arm 37, to the other end of which is mounted one end of a connecting rod 38 which is mounted at the other end thereof upon one of said arms 32.

The operation of my device may be described as follows: When the car upon which my mechanism is installed is in operation, the axle 2 will revolve, thereby revolving the pulley 1 mounted thereon,

which will, in turn, transmit a rotary motion'to the flywheel 6 by means of the belt to the pulley 14 by means of the belt 22, and to the sprocket wheel 25 by means of the sprocket chain 31.

- The relative position of the parts during this operation is as follows: The pin 4 upon the pulley 1 will abut one end of the channel slot 3 in the axle 2. The spiral groove 12 formed upon the shaft 11 will direct and maintain the pulley 14 in engagement with the sprocket wheel 18 so long as said pulley 14 is beingrotated in a forward direction. As the pulley 14 abuts the face of the sprocket wheel 18, the lug upon said sprocket wheel will engage with one end of the groove 16 within the adjacent face of said pulley, whereby the sprocket wheel will be rotated so long as the said pulley is rotatably engaged therewith. The block 28 will be retained in a position adjacent the sprocket wheel by reason of the revolution of the shaft 23, since the guide member will follow the groove 27 to the forward end thereof when the axle 23 revolves forwardly, and will be maintained at the forward end of said groove so long as the sprocket wheel 25 and axle 23 are revolved forwardly by the operation of the car. In this position of the parts, the connecting rods 38 will maintain the levers 37 in such position as to hold the car door, operatively connected to the gears and 36 in closed position. x

The stopping of the car will stop the rotation of the axle 2, but the impetus given the fly-wheel 6 will cause it to continue to revolve sufficiently to rotate the pulley 1 about the now stationary axle 2 until the pin 4 slides to the other end of the channel groove 3. This frees the pulley 14, so that as the spring 21 pushes against it, it may revolve backwardly and away from the sprocket Wheel 18. In this movement the pulley will be guided by the engagement of the lug 15 with the spiral groove 12. As soon as said pulley 14 is disengaged from the'sprocket wheel 18, said sprocket wheel will cease to transmit a forward revolution to the sprocket wheel 25 and axle 23, but instead will be free to revolve in the reverse direction. Since the forward revolution of the axle 23 has retained the block 28 at the forward end of said axle by reason of the spiral groove therein. the cessation of such forward rotation will. permit the springs 33 to pull said block toward the rear end of said axle, and as the axle may then revolve backwardly, the guide member 30 will follow the groove 27 as the block is pulled backwardly. The backward movement of said block will draw the lever 37, connected therewith, in a backward direction, transmitting a turning movement to the gear wheel 35 connected to one end of said'lever, and a consequent turning movement to the pinion 36 meshing with the gear 35 and operatively connected to the car doors A.

It is obvious that a reversal of the various steps of the operation as described will bring the parts in the same relative position as at first described. That is, the starting of the car will revolve the various pulleys, sprocket wheels, and axles in a forward direction. The spiral groove 12 on the axle 11 will automatically return the pulley 14 to a position adjacent to and in engagement with the sprocket wheel 18. Likewise, the spiral groove 27 will force the block 28 to a point adjacent the forward end of said groove, whereby the car doors will be automatically closed by the movement of the levers 37, and will be maintained in closed position so long as the axle is in rotation.

The utility, adaptability, and advantages of my improved form. of mechanism for automatically opening and closing car doors being obvious, it is unnecessary to further enlarge upon the same herein.

Having now described and pointed out the new and useful features of my invention, I do not limit myself to the shape of certain parts, where the shape is not essential, nor do I restrict myself to the exact details of construction shown and described, but mean and intend to claim all equivalents and variations thereof, not departing in principle from my invention, and falling within the purview of the. appended claims.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a car having a door, means for holding the door closed while thecar is moving, including a rotatable pulley operable when said car is moving, a counter-shaft connected with said pulley, a clutch in said connection operable when the pulley is rotated, at door operating frame slidably mounted on the shaft adapted to close the door when operated in one direc tion by the pulley, and means for moving the same in the opposite direction when the pulley is stopped to open the door.

2. In combination with a car having a door, means for holding the door closed while the car is moving, including a pulley rotatable forward when the car is moving, a fly-wheel operatively connected with the pulley to impart additional. limited forward motion thereto as the car stops, means for imparting a limited reverse movement to the pulley when the same closes its forward i'novement, a counter-shaft connected with said pulley, a clutchin said connection operable when the pulley is rotated forwardly and releasable when the movement is stopped and reversed, a door operating frame slidably mounted on the shaft, and adapted to close the door when operated in one direction by forward motion of the pul ley, and means for moving the frame in the opposite direction when the pulley is stopped to open the door.

In combination with a car having a door and an axle, the axle provided with a slot extending partly around its periphery, a pulley mounted on said axle, a pin connecting the pulley with the axle through the slot, a fly-wheel connected to the pulley to impart motion to the same when the axle is stopped, means for imparting a limited reverse movement to the pulley when the same closes its forward movement, a counter shaft connected with said pulley, a clutch in said connection operable whenthe pulley is rotated forwardly and releasable when said movement is stopped and reversed, a door operating frame slidably mounted on the shaft and adapted to closethe door when operated in one direction by the pulley, and means for moving the frame in the opposite direction when the pulley is stopped to open the door.

4. In combination with a car having a door, means for holding the door closed when the car is moving, said holding means including a clutch mechanism comprising an arbor having a spiral groove therein, a driving member engaging said arbor and groove and a driven member adapted to engage said driving member when the car is moving forward, a spring for disengaging said members as the car is stopped, a counter shaft connected with said driven member, a door operating frame slidably mounted 'on the shaft and adapted to move in one direction when the shaft is rotated by engagement between the driving and driven members, and means for moving the frame in the opposite direction when the members are disengaged.

In combination with a car having a door, means for closing the door connected with the car axle including a clutch mechanism, a counter-shaft provided with a spiral groove, a block slidably mounted thereon and adapted to engage said groove, an arm extending from said block, a spring tending to pull the block in one direction, a pulley on the shaft connected to the clutch mechanism and adapted to rotate to move the block in the opposite direction to close the door when the clutch is operable, and means connected to the arm for operating said door.

6. In a door operating mechanism, the combination with an axle, of a pulley on said axle, means to impart motion to the pulley when the axle ceases to rotate, a spirally grooved ack shaft having a pulley thereon engaged with the groove in said shaft and adapted to be moved longitudinally thereof, a sprocket to be engaged by the last-mentioned pulley, a belt operatively connecting the said pulleys, a counter-shaft, means to impart movement to the countershaft from said jack shaft, a door operating frame, said counter-shaft having a spiral groove therein to afford connection between the same and the frame, whereby to move the latter longitudinally of the shaft, and spring means to act upon the frame against the action of said countershaft.

7. In a door operating mechanism, the combination with motion transmitting means and momentum producing means operable therewith, of a counter-shaft, a door operating frame operable longitudinally upon said shaft, said frame being connected with doors, means to move said frame,

spring means associated with the said frame, said shaft having a spiral groove means on the frame to engage in said groove, said frame being maintained in certain positions against the action of said means, rotative means and a clutch to impart motion from said motion transmitting means to said counter-shaft, whereby when said motion transmitting means is in operation said coun- 10 ter shaft Will maintain said frame in position to hold the doors closed, and When said motion transmitting means ceases to move said momentum producing means will operate said clutch to release the counter-shaft and permit said frame to be moved to open the doors by the tension of the said springs.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature hereto.

ORVILLE E. SAHOLT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington. D. O. 

